


A Matter Of Jumpers...

by Punk_in_Docs



Series: Along Came Benedict: The Ben and Libby Saga... [6]
Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom, British Actor RPF, British Comedy RPF
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Cheating, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-26 21:59:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1704029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Punk_in_Docs/pseuds/Punk_in_Docs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Jumpers.”<br/>“What?” Tess asked.<br/>“Have you ever found yourself in a position where you couldn’t choose between two jumpers…”<br/>Libby asked. And, again, she found that Tess’s eyes narrowed almost immediately at her in confusion.<br/>“No. But I don’t think you really mean ‘Jumpers’ do you?” Tess questioned.<br/>Libby swallowed, nervously.<br/>“Not one bit.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Age Old Question, Babies and Revelations...

3 Days. It had been three very long, very awkward tense days after Libby and Ben’s Tequila Snog fest. The word fest can be used approriately here, as they fell asleep on the sofa after hours of amorous lip locking, and woke up in the morning, still slumped on each other, and half undressed. And each sporting a thunderous hangover. But the hangover seemed to pale in comparison when they discovered Libby was without her cotton white t – shirt, and in just a bra, and Ben’s own blue button down was unbuttoned more than halfway down his chest. Libby had woken up first. Warmed by rays of sunlight, and very content about the pair of lips that were nuzzled into her neck. Along with a scruffly unshaven chin in contrast to Ben’s soft lips. After realising she was undressed, she managed to silently pull her shirt on and slink away, to go upstairs and have a shower, with last nights events running heavily through her mind. When she opened the bathroom door however, she was in for a shock, as she found the tall lanky frame of Tom Hiddleston sleeping soundly in her clawfoot bath. Legs stuck out comically from one end. Apparantly it had been a very drunken night for _all_ three inhabiants of her house. And so, after Tom and Ben finally awoke, Libby made them breakfast (the infamous scrambled eggs with cheese to help along the hangover) and she and Ben exchanged but a few words before he left. Which meant they both remmembered what happened.

And now, 72 hours later, and Libby had decided to go out for lunch with an old friend, Tess. (or Tessa) Who was by far one of the eldest of Libby’s friend’s, She lived just down the road from Libby with her husband, Mark. Tess was now heavily pregnant with their first baby. What Libby loved about Tess was that she was brutally frank, and told it how it was. If she ever needed true, weighed up, advice on something, she would go to Tess without a doubt. Because she could be sure that the 5ft eight woman, with unruly dark brown curly hair and grey eyes, would give it to her belts and braces – No mollycoddling within sight. That why Libby adored their friendship. Tessa said she adored it because Libby was still young and perky and wasn’t yet hiking her boobs off her feet, and like most of her friends, not yet wearing Tena Lady. They had decided to meet for lunch in Portabello at an amazingly famous 50’s Burger bar called Zak’s, and as it was a Tuesday, the market stalls would be bustling and busy, for them to peruse as they walked to lunch.

“I can’t decide if this crap is just overly expensive and useless, or better yet, not crap, but in fact original stuff, but still overly fucking useless…”

Tess thought aloud to Libby, looking at a plasterine model of elvis of which the price tag read £35.

Libby smiled in mute apology to the stall owner who looked more than a bit pissed off. She was sure getting up at a ridiculous time in the morning to cart a van full of stuff down here to then lay out and sit around in the freezing cold for eight hours was lacking in fun already. There was probably no need for a 6 month pregnant woman to waddle along and vaguely insult him aswell.

Libby quickly steered Tess away.

“I can’t decide if pregnancy is making you, more crude, or more honest. And, truthfully, I can’t decide with is the lesser of the two evils Tessa…” Libby smiled

Tessa scoffed, but to her credit with a smile. “Yeah. Well. I can’t walk for more than thirty minutes or my legs swell up like birthday ballons, my ass has inflated to the size of two planets squashed together, and I’m either permanently horny, or hungry, or crying…I couldn’t give two flying fucks about being crude or honest…”

She whined, stopping to stare longingly at a street stall cooking and selling duck pancakes. Libby tugged her away, again. Laughing at her brutality.

They walked in silence for a moment, Libby trying to decide how to best broach the subject to Tessa. They stopped for a while as there was a bakery giving out free muffin samples, of which Tessa sampled generously.

“Wow, you can actually taste the oncoming tooth decay…” She commented to the young woman with the basket of samples.

“We try to use as little sugar as possible with our-“ the young girl started, but one daggering glance from tessa cut her off.

“Then why the hell I am eating this? Move it along sparky before I eat you. MUSH!” she encouraged, and the red faced young girl scrambled away. Nearly in tears.

“I’m going to miss you being able to do that when that baby comes…” Libby laughed, seeing Tessa growl.

“Fucking twenty something’s. All young and prim until they get to my age, I tell you this, hurry up and mate for life soon, kid, otherwise you end up with a saggy ass, stretch marks and the only action you get is rush hour in the tube when a guys hand accidentally brushes your ass…” Tessa warned, pointing a wise finger at Libby.

“Thanks, I’ll…..I’ll bare that in mind…”

The younder woman smiled, as they shuffled past a street performer. Yet another bo-ho bohemian singing Bob Marley with a six string acoustic.

“Tessa…” Libby began as the inspected a stall selling old books.

“Did you ever find yourself in a position, where you had to choose between two…. _Um_ … well _two…_.”

Libby found those molten silver eyes narrowing at her. Encouraging her to speak or be spoken too. It was then they passed a clothing stall selling clothing, jumpers and t –shirts.

“Jumpers.”

“What?” Tess asked.

“Have you ever found yourself in a position where you couldn’t choose between two jumpers…”

Libby asked. And, again, she found that Tess’s eyes narrowed almost immeadiately at her in confusion.

“No. But I don’t think you really mean ‘Jumpers’ do you?” Tess questioned.

Libby swallowed, nervously.

“Not one bit.”

She elucidated. Looking to Tessa, who thought that her friend looked for all the world like she was hiding a guilty secret.

Tess was still glaring at her.

“Carry on…” Tess dared her.

“Ok, you have, in your possession, two Jumpers….”

“That we’ve established…” Tessa explained.

“Ok. The first Jumper is a classic. It’s an old worn Blue Jumper. You can wear it day in, and day out. And You love it. It’s warm, it’s soft, cozy, and dependable. It’s always there for you, when you need to _wear_ it, despite the fact that it’s a very famous hollywood Jumper now… But no matter what, it always supports you and compliment’s you.” Libby started, looking like a dewy eyed disney character as she spoke.

“Or?” Tess urged.

“Or, there’s the second Jumper. A new edition to your wardobe, much newer. Still being, worn in, so to speak. But it’s edgy, it’s fun. Brand new and still exciting to you. And you like wearing it, you truly do. But the blue one just feels more comfortable in comparison. And the green jumper can sometimes be miles away when you want to wear it most.”

“Ok…” Tess nodded, trying to let the strange Jumper analogy sink in.

“So, what’s changed?” She asked.

Libby bit her lip looking sheepish. “How did you know something changed?” she frowned mildly.

Tessa nearly rolled her eyes.

“Because, I happen to know that you’ve had these two jumpers for many months now. Why would you have to start choosing between them now unless something has changed…” Tess carried on.

“Do those wise genes kick in the moment you become a mother?” Libby asking, smiling politely.

“No. If they did, I would have the sense be wise enough to not be pregnant in the first place…” Tessa groaned, complaining.

Libby smiled.

“You’re going to be a wonderful mother, Tessa, and well you know it.”

Libby complimented, throwing an arm around her friend, who smiled and returned the one armed hug with fervour.

“ _God,_ you smell good. How do those virile actors who you hang around with keep a lid on it, and not jump your bones?…”

“Tessa…” Libby laughed.

“ I mean that, come on, you kidding me? Peach shampoo and that fucking great perfume you always wear, kid, you keep that up, and never mind Jasper, _I’ll_ sleep with you….” Tessa growled sexually.

“Keep it in your pants you horny pregnant mess…” Libby laughed.

“Ok, OK. Continue, we had just gotten to the good bit, what had changed?”

Libby sighed before she continued.

“Everything.”

“Oh that’s specific…”

“Will you bear with me…. Everything has changed. Because, well. You were wearing the green jumper for a while. But, then you took the green one off, And just when you did, the second you pulled it off over your arms, just for a moment. You found yourself…. Leaning towards the blue. And without thinking, you. You drink some tequila, and you grab the blue one, and feel how soft and smooth it is, and then you slipped it on and it. Felt. Great. It was everything the Green jumper never was. It made you feel sexy, it made you feel loved and amazing, and. It was so, comfortable. It didn’t need breaking in or wearing in at all, not like the green one did. It was the perfect fit, and you never wanted to take it off…. Not even for one second.”

Tessa stayed quiet as Libby carried on.

“But now, the green Jumper is just… laying there. Dejected. Like a massive elephant in the room, and the blue feels so great and that you can't deny. But the green is cast aside, all alone. So you find you have to quickly rip off the blue, and yank on the green so it can settle on you again. And that breaks your heart…..”

“Well sure, that blue didn’t do anything wrong.” Tessa added.

“Exactly. The blue was just, being the blue. It’s dependable, beautiful, old blue self. And what’s heartbreaking is that, you have to wear the green now. And you do. You wear it proudly. But you keep holding the blue in your hands, But the blue is unhappy, the Blue wants to leave. It feels hurt and confused, the Blue wants to run away from the pain of the sight of you in the Green. But. The blue has been there for you all your life, it’s your rock…”

“I thought it was a Jumper…” Tess interjected.

“No. it is..” Libby offered.

“Are we still talking about Jumpers?”

“Yes.”

“But you said rock a minute ago…”

“A Metphorical rock, Tessa. It still appears in physical form as a blue jumper…”

“Ok…”

“Caught up now?”

“You’re mental, Did I ever tell you that?”

“Can I carry on now?”

“By all means…”

“The blue. Is your absolute everything Jumper. It goes with everything, and it’s so vital. You don’t know what you’d do without it, and all you know is you don’t even want to think about what you would do without it and you just, however hard you try, can’t seem to let it go…. And now I’m so confused. I’m confused because I don’t want to take both jumper’s off and never see either of them again. But I can’t keep holding them in my hands. I’m old enough to know I have to let one Jumper go. I have to give one of them away. But which one? Sure the blue is there, all the time, _now,_ but that Blue’s career is just taking off, soon its gonna be surrounded by famous offers and people, and the green one is very down to earth, and so normal. And I still don’t know. Even with that taken into account…. What do you think Tess?”

Tess went utterly silent for a minute, before she took a deep breath and turned to face her friend. And the most solemn expression Libby had ever seen on her passed across her face.

 

“I think you _really_ love that Blue Jumper…”

 

“More than the green?” Libby asked, smiling slightly.

“ _Oh_ , kid! _SO_ much more than the green. I think that the blue is your colour, It suits you better. Brings out your eyes. And you glow with utter happiness when you wear the blue one, you always have. And I agree, it has always been by your side; through thick and thin. And I also think that the blue one happens to love being worn by you, just as much as you love wearing it. And the blue will treat you _so_ right. And it will do everything in the world to make you very happy. Hollywood career be damned…”

“Wow. I really do need that blue jumper don’t I?” Libby said softly.

“Yeah, you love it to bits….” Tessa winked.

“So the green has to go?”

“It’s gotta go. For all our sakes, especially that poor old blue, give it to a charity shop for all we care. Now, if that’s all dandy, shut the hell up and get me the fuck to lunch. My back is killing me and I sware this baby is playing with my bladder like it’s a squeze toy.” Tess moaned.

“Well, your very supportive.” Libby smiled.

“Yeah, I’m pregnant and carrying satan’s spawn, what’s your excuse?”

“My excuse? Well, I’ve been longing after a Blue Jumper for nee on sixteen years…”

Tess paused. Looking like she had seen a ghost.

“Hold up.” Libby found her friend’s hand gripped her wrist like a vice.

“ _Oh my god!_ You had sex with that blue jumper didn’t you? That’s what you meant by _‘changed’,_ You fucked it, and fucking it fucked everything else up.”

Tess really did have a cussing fetish, Libby thought.

“No! I did not fuck that Jumper. And I am offended at the insinuation…” Libby gaped.

“.. You want to though. Despite all the other bullshit feelings crap. You know you want to give that blue a damn good shagging.”

Libby stayed silent, going a bit pink.

“Mnhmmmm. I thought so.” Tessa smiled. “As I understand it, anyway, honey. The blue happens to be very five star sexy, and the green is unravelling, as it were…”

Libby sighed, “The Blue was an amazing kisser though.”

Tess halted, and her mouth gaped at her friend, as Libby found herself pulled eye to eye with Tess.

“Tell me. Everything. _Now_. Jumper Tramp.”

“I told you this last week. The Green hasn’t wanted to be worn in so many long months.”

“Yes, yes. This we know. Hot fuck at first, but the threads are now coming loose. About the Blue though, Kisser? Rough or gentle? Were tongues involved? Was there any groping? Swapping of bodily fluids? I will say this once, and once only. I am bored. I am pregnant. And I am Super horny…”

“That sounds like an interesting super power….” Libby chuckled

“Stow the crappy jokes! I need details! DETAILS!” She cried loudly.

“The blue was, astoundingly intimate. Gentle. Good fit. Considerate. Certainly knew his way around wearing me, and touched base in all the right places…” Libby purred, recalling the kiss.

“Ok. Now I’m turned on. You’re definitely sure there was no sex right? Because it sounds to me like you really want to have a good old wham bam fuck with the blue for old times sake…” Tess said deviously.

“Tess. There was no sex.”

“And you’re sure about this…”

“Actually no, because there was the bit with the chloroform, and then I woke up naked… _YES!_ Im sure.” Libby joked, steeling her point.

“Just because you didn’t have sex didn’t mean you didn’t do _other_ fun grown up stuff…”

“Like what?” Libby asked innocently with a smile.

Tess shot her a dirty look.

“You know…. Down south mouth kind of fun. Didn’t let the cat get the cream, or dish out a five knuckle shuffle… ecetera…” Tessa waggled her brows.

“Ok, you’re offically seven shades of disgusting…” Libby chided, shoving her friend in the shoulder as Tessa chuckled.

“No! There was _NO_ swapping of bodily fluids you horny fiend!” Libby reitterated.

“You cant hide your true intentions from me, especially not when I’m this horny, and I can get an orgasm just from riding the bus...” Tess smiled gleefully.

“Well that’s a happy story..” Libby smiled, trying not to laugh too much.

“Has a great ending too…” Tess beamed.

“Don’t put me off my lunch, Tessa…I mean it!” Libby warned. Smiling.

“Seriously, though kid. How bad do you want that Blue Jumper… you can tell me, I’m your oldest friend…”

“I’ve known you for only eight years…” Libby corrected.

“Did I say oldest? I meant _Eldest_ …” Tessa started. “How foolish of me.”

Libby grumbled a low groan, that eventually turned into smile.

“You want him real bad don’t you?” Tess urged.

“Yes, I do. And it’s killing me! Tess, you know me, I couldn’t even lie about my age paying for bus fares when I was a kid. I don’t want to, and certainly never intended to cheat on anybody. I want, to just resolve and and things with the green, and then…”

“And then fuck the blue til his brains fall out?”

“It’s like you have sex on the brain today…” Libby said dryly.

“Not my fault you two would have beautiful babies, and have very hot, by the way, baby making sex.”

Libby’s face wrinkled.

“Tessa, atleast help me to move past the emotional crap pile that is my love life, and then, I will discuss sex with you to your hearts content…”

“Ok. So, fucking his brains out…..” Tessa picked up where they left off.

“Thanks for putting it delicately. ( _For you)”_ Libby sneered.

“Oh, I could be cruder….” Tess stated matter of factly

“ I know you could, frankly, you’re scaring me.” Libby commented.

“Ok. You want crude. I'll give you crude.... You want nothing more than for him to throw you down on the bed, rip your clothes off with his teeth, before impaling you on his big, thick, huge wet coc-“

Libby slapped a hand over her friends mouth.

“That’s enough out of you! Toilet mouth, there’s children around…” She cried, smiling.

“They have to eventually come to learn this bullshit anyway, why not start early?” Tess argued.

Libby wouldn’t put it past Tess to raise her child in the same brutal way in which she viewed every aspect of life. Poor kid.

“Did you ever have problems with Jumpers, Tess?” Libby asked honestly and solemnly.                

Thankfully, that seemed to discourage Tess from spewing any more of her ‘mind in the gutter’ mannerisms of speech.

“Hey, you know me. Dated a couple of really crappy jumpers in my time, some too tight, some too loose. And for a while I was pretty confident in the fact that I would be a lonely old spinster.”

Libby listened intently.

“… But then this great, one of a kind grey old comfy jumper came along. Sure he was a bit worn in places, a bit shabby here and there, threadbare, with a huge saggy gut and the inane desire to do nothing but watch football, touch himself and burp. But. He was my soft and threadbare jumper, and he loved me, for all my faults, and god knows I love him for his. Even though he snores like a freight train and has a creepily possessive mother. He’s still my saggy gutted, burping worn old gray jumper. And whats more. He’s mad about me, and me him. Like we’re two teens again.”

Tess smiled. Before Libby found herself in a one armed hug again.

“Now. You know what honey? Toss that green to the wayside, however new, sexy and exciting it may be. All those who know you, We all know it aint the one for you. So grab that blue, pull it on quick. And don’t ever take it off. Because is sounds to me like you’ve already made your choice…. And it sounds like its blue for life all the way, kid.”

“You’re acually quite sweet with all these pregnancy hormones in you, you know that Tessa..”

Libby smiled, letting her friend hug her as close as was possible with the baby bump between them.

“Oh!” and Tess exclaimed pulling back suddenly.

“Me and Mark have decided we want you to be Godmother to this little bundle of agony, would you mind?”

She asked, as if it were an afterthought, like asking her to pass the salt at the table. In typical Tess manner, her heart was nowhere near her sleeve, Libby wasn’t quite sure where her friend stored the organ in her deeply disturbed, horny body.

“You couldn’t have waited to tell me that over lunch? And not out here? In the street? In front of a stall selling banksy t-shirts?” Libby questioned.

Tess shrugged, arms splayed open in a ‘what?’ defensive position.

“What? It was on my mind..” she smiled.

“It just had me thinking, if you hurry up and sort your shit out, then you and Ben could come to the baptism, then atleast when you get all broody and mummy-like, then instead of going home to weep over a tub of B&J, you can instead go home and have sweaty, weeping, clingy, animalistic sex with Benedict instead…”

Libby shook her head, smiling.

“And we’re back to the old Tess….” Libby sighed, linking an arm around her friend.

“Yeah, yahoooo. I’m a great big ball of horny love today. Now come on. If we move fast, we can get a table at Zak’s, I’ve been having dreams about those supersize bacon burgers for a month. We move any slower, I don’t care how greater friends we are, I’ll be forced to eat you, Now fucking move it….”                                  

 

 


	2. Blondes, Truths and Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben faces up to some lying Truths... and Quite rightly threatens to punch them in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one is kind of short, but no less vital.... Enjoy.....

Jasper had only been back in London for roughly six hours before there came a sharp knock on his door. And the person behind it obviously was _not_ happy.

He frowned. He was in his bedroom, which was right at the back of his flat. You had to go through the living room and down the hallway to get to the door. He frowned and dropped the clothes in his hands back into his open suitcase, he trudged through the flat, shuffling up the five stairs that lead to his front door. Calling through the wood as he did as he suddenly guessed who it would be;

“Laura, babe, I thought you wouldn’t be here until 11…”

He cooed sexily through the wood. Leaning on one hip to open the door, smiling out into his hallway as he swung it open…

To find Benedict on the other side….

The man’s eyes looked positively icy, and his jaw was clenched. Screwed shut tight grinding his teeth to dust. Now Jasper didn’t startle easily, but once glance over the man in front of him, whose stance was stiff and heated with fury, he suddenly felt very wary of him.

“I’m sorry _, dear,_ I didn’t mean to throw off your plans… But I guess I was just being inconside _rate_. ” Ben bit out.

Jasper coud do nought but blink, with his mouth agape.

“Ben…” he swallowed, wetting his lips before he spoke, the angry heat that the man opposite from him was emitting, made the hallway air suddenly seem dry, tight and crushed.

“Why do I find myself giddily awaiting whatever sordid excuse is going to crawl its way out of your mouth..” Ben growled.

“Look you have no right to-“

Ben laughed, errily.. and to Japser that was the worlds most terrifying sound.

“No right?” Ben asked, smiling before his face snapped right back to anger again.

“I think I have every right to be up here…” He began, “Every right considering all I’m doing is talking to you, but if you open your mouth and fight me on any point, I will cease to be just talking to you, and I will break your nose. Are we clear?”

Jasper levelled him back a hard stare, mixed with a sigh.

“Why are you here, Ben?”

“You know why I’m here…” Ben ground out.

“Have you come to warn me off?” Jasper asked dryly, seeming amused by the prospect. Raising one perfectly arched brow at him.

“You know I can’t do that.” Ben said quietly.

“Why the hell not? You just threatened to break my nose, I don’t exactly think a couple of mere warnings would halt you.” Jasper spoke sharply.

“I can’t do it on the grounds that my best friend is in love with you… And I, unlike you, will not be the cause of any harm to her, that is why I bloody well can’t warn you off.”

“Funny. Im not exactly sensing a cry for our wedding bells from you…” Jasper commented dryly.

“No. because you’ve already got that taken care of haven’t you…” Ben growled, pulling a photo from his pocket and throwing it to Jasper’s feet, the wedding photo facing up. The one of the baby joining it as they fluttered down to Jaspers socked feet.

“How did you…” Jasper began.

“You should probably think twice before you leave photo’s of your wife and son at your current girlfriends place!” Ben shouted.

Jaspers eyes looked sheepishly into Bens own.

“If I were you, I’d think long and hard about the next words that come out of your mouth. Either that or you need to stand a good arm swinging length away from me.” Ben snarled.

“Ok Look, Libby took me completely by surprise, I didn’t expect her to show up, and…”

“Oh, so blame rests on her now does it….Yes, why how dare she visit places where predatory men like you have no self control over their actions. Yeah. I’ll have a good long chat to her about her innapropriate conducts…” Ben sarcastically barked at him.

“If you’ll let me speak…” Jasper sneered.

Ben’s jaw ground his teeth to dust again.

“Libby is a good person. That’s no secret, I. I am not and never have, fallen under that category. But, I love her….”

“Then tell her the truth….” Ben exploded

“Why should I?” Jasper defended weakly.

Ben saw red mist.

“… Because if you have one shred of human decency in your body, you will care about her and you will treat her the way she deserves to be treated.”

“I wonder, Ben, have you done this to every man she’s dated?” Jasper suddenly turned, looking cocky and confident, eyes glittering cruelly.

“…Showed up at their door, looked all cross, and threatening and alpha male, growled at them to treat her right, threatened to break a limb, and looked over their shoulder for the entire relationship…”

Ben looked twice as angered now. If that was at all possible.

“You have havent you?” Jasper laughed. “My god, why didn’t I see this coming…”

Ben had to close his eyes and take a deep breath, and remind himself that flogging had been outlawed in this country.

“The best friend, the man closest to her for half her life, and all the time, you’ve been in love with her. You can’t stand to see that she isnt in love with you. Shes seeing other men, dating them, shagging them, and all that while you sit and home, unable to summon the guts to tell her you love her.” Jasper smirked.

“Don’t you dare...” Ben pleaded quietly, lethally, but quietly.

“You can’t just rock up here and threaten me, My relationship with Libby, is our buisness.” Jasper growled.

“I’ll make it my buisness If you don’t tell her the truth.” Ben stated harshly.

“She won’t believe you…” Jasper smirked.

“And You’d willing to call me out on that bluff would you…” Ben bristled. This was _his_ Libby. And he would do anything to keep her from harm.

It was Jaspers turn to clench his jaw.

“You can’t force people to do thngs they don’t want to do Ben.”

“You don’t want to tell her?” Ben asked angrily.

“What do you think? Women like Libby don’t come along every day… would you want to loose her if you were me…”

“No. Because If I had her, I would never place myself in a position where I would risk loosing her. I would wake every day blessing it that she’s mine, and I would never cheat on, lie to, or hurt her. And it’s taking just about every ounce of willpower I have not to plant my fist in your face.”

“What’s holding you back? You clearly think I deserve no less…”

“No.” Ben started.

“You don’t deserve her Jasper, you never have, and you never will. And I’ll be damned if you’re going to break her heart…”

Ben seethed one last time, turning and walking angrily away. He was three feet from the door when a leggy blonde clicked her precious way down the hall. She was wearing a dress that was hitched so high up her thighs that it was practically a top. She wore heels that bordered on a ridiculous height, her makeup was overdone and she held a bottle of champagne in her manicured hand. When she saw Ben, she startled, tossing her bleech blonde extensions over one shoulder and flapping her free hand excitedly.

“Oh my god! _OH MY GOD!”_ she screeched. Ben halted, stance stiff as he faced her.

“You’re Benedict Cumberbatch, oh my god, Im a such a huge fan! I loved you in that Sherlock thing…”

Ben smiled snippily, turning back over his shoulder to look at Jasper who was skulking in his doorway.

“You’re Laura I assume…”

Ben growled. Before he tersely slid past and dissapeared down the stairwell.

 

 

 


	3. Broken Glass, Liars and Messy Break Ups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper and Libby come to blows, Ben comes to the rescue....

Libby had just slid through her front door that night, when her stomach suddenly felt tight and prickled with hot uncomfortable stabbing pains. Her brow creased, and she had an odd sense of heavy dread weighing down on her shoulders. She rolled her keys around in her palm and slowly and silently shut the door behind her. Jasper must have beaten her home, all her lights were on. And as he only got back From San Fransisco yesterday, they agreed he would see her after he got some sleep and rest last night. Tonight they both had separate plans for the evening, he was at a book launch party in Greenwhich, and She, at an Author’s literary Dinner in Knightsbridge. It was a fairly posh do, she had her toes and nails done – which she hated – but it came in a package deal with her hair and makeup also having been done professionally. And she chose to wear a black bodycon halterneck dress that Tessa helped her pick out, As her short red bob was pinned up on her head, so it didn’t obscure the low cut of the back of the dress – nor, Libby noted with a glimmer of sexy confidence – did it hide the tattoos on her back. She had got them when she was 18, the word ‘Lucky’ scrawled just above the long red scar under her right shoulderblade that cut round her back. (it was a long painful story involving a ‘C’ word that she didn’t like to talk about) Aswell as a Sailor jerry swallow etched halfway down her shoulderblade. Nevertheless, her sexy dress, make up and hair when teamed with her showing off a bit of skin and wearing appallingly high heels, Tess assured her, meant she would turn many heads tonight.

But despite this fact, the sexy yet still humble confidence that had thrummed low in her body all evening rapidly dissapated now. That odd sixth sense in her gut was unsettling her. And as she heard a noise scuttle across her floorboards in her bedroom, she knew in an instant that Jasper was here, upstairs. She had spoken to him on the phone earlier, he had seemed quite out of breath and distant, and appeared like he was holding back from saying something. Every word he spoke was sharp and short. He didn’t sound alright at all, but he promised he would be at home and waiting for her when she got in, before he hung up, she heard feminine laughter echo down the phone from the other end, aswell as Jasper fighting not to moan. She sensed then that something was, not quite right.

She walked softly, heels not making a sound as she ascended the spiral stairs and came around the landing, softly calling Jasper’s name as she pushed open the partially pulled shut bedroom door.

“Jasper, sorry I took so long traffic was-“

 

And then she looked up. And her heart broke.

 

Just like that. She physically felt the organ shatter in her chest. Breaking into searing shards. Like a splinter of ice being chipped apart by a sledgehammer. Her clutch bag in her hand, and her keys in the other clattered to the carpeted floor, not making a whisper.

 

Jasper. Her eight month long term boyfriend, was busying himself by rutting into a thin blonde woman in Libby’s bed. She could see from here, the thin sheet that was – thankfully carelessly thrown over them both. Jasper’s back muscles clenching as he surged forwards and backwards.

 

Libby felt sick, bile rising in her throat and tears clouding her eyes, aswell as that heavy choking feeling intensifying in her throat. What’s worse, was that she had entered so silently, that they were carrying on, as they hadn’t seen her. That was before the woman’s eyes twisted to the right as she saw the door open, from her position on the pillow, she starled slightly, as her lips parted in a breathy moan.

“Oh, is she joining us?”

Came the low sexual and whiny voice from inbetween her callogen plumped lips. Her insinuation pulled a lusty smile across her wide mouth at the thought of having company.

Jasper paused, stilling his movement,

“What?”

He asked, furrowing his brow, his inky black hair falling over his forehead as he looked down at her, before his head twisted to the side, and his eyes blew wide.

“Oh fuck.”

He whined. Moving to scramble away, the Blonde whimpered at his movement.

“We weren’t done…”

She stated moodily as he pulled himself off her.

An odd noise that sounded like a gust of air bred with a laugh fell out of Libby’s mouth in a strangled half cry as the first angry tears dropped.

“Oh, please! by all means don’t stop on my account!”

Libby cried loudly, Jasper stood by the right side of her bed, attempting to move closer as he pulled the sheet around himself, but in doing so, only proved to uncover his thin friend. And Libby had to turn and place a hand over her mouth as she caught an unintended glimpse of the woman’s naked body. And all she could think, was that she was everything Libby wasn’t. She had lush tan skin and legs that went on forever. Her waist was tiny and every rib could be seen poking through her skin, as she was lying flat, the cut of her hipbones slashed through her skin, and her chest seemed tiny, the barest hint of breast with small petite nipples potruding upwards. She was everything Libby wasn’t. Thin, Stunningly so, tanned, and leggy.

“Libby….”

She heard Jasper advance behind her. So she looked over her shoulder at him, and her expression was the most unreadable mask of pain she had ever seen.

“This is Libby?…”

The woman asked behind her, as she moved around the room.

Libby’s icy eyes locked with Jaspers, his pupils were still blown from him being aroused. Tears tracked their way down her cheeks, and even in the darkened room, he could see the anger and pain that was being daggered at him.

“Oh, I’m touched, you had the gall to have a little chat about me.”

Libby growled. Unsure of what to do, she wanted to run and scream and sob, but her feet suddenly weighed tonnes and she couldn’t move from the spot she was stood at on her landing, just outside the bedroom door.

“Jas? I thought you said she was a model? You said she was, like, thin and stuff….”

The blonde happily chirped, Libby saw she was sliding on one shoulder of her far too short, metallic silver dress onto her skinny frame. No underwear or anything underneath it.

Libby looked back to Jasper, who didn’t say a word. The only movement which came from him, was when Libby stalked quickly across the room and slapped him across the face.

_Hard._

His head jerked to the side and he let out a startled breath.

“Get. Out.”

She cried, face pinched in pain, and more tears coming.

“Please, can we just….” Jasper started.

“Jas, are we going now? Theres a party over at Izzi’s we could go to...”

The blonde offered, unaware of just exactly what position the other two people in the room were in.

“Tatianna, just leave… _Now_!” Jasper barked, glaring daggers at her.

“Whatever…”

She gushed, stepping across the threshold of the door and past Libby anyway. Screwing her nose up in disgust as she walked past Libby. Who gave the model a short withering glare.

“Christ, Who pissed on your parade? Red? If I were you, I’d put that energy into burning off some of those calories… Men like them skinny, didn’t you hear?”

The odious blonde dripped with poision, and the nauseating scent of awful perfume as she dipped past. Flicking her hair over her shoulder.

“No, I hadn’t heard. Thanks for the update…” Libby smiled sourly.

“Best you run along now, you’ve got a long night of partying ahead I take it? Best get that one braincell up in there all nice and sharpened up, who knows you may have to use it sometime soon. Wouldn’t that be novel?”

Libby scoffed. She heard Jasper sigh opposite her.

The blonde scoffed right back, dissapearing down the stairs and across the hallway floor.

“Call me if you want a fuck, Jas. If not, then maybe attempt to knock that huge fucking stick out of Red’s fat ass.”

She called horribly, flouncing out the door.

They heard her dissapear, until the soft clacking of heels subsided and they were left in silence, staring at each other, in the overpowering aura of the models perfume and rhe scent of sex hanging in the air between them.

“My, what lovely company you keep.”

Libby snapped, seeing Jasper run his hand back along his neck.

“I thought you’d be home much later….”

He clarified in a quiet voice. Looking only slightly guilty.

“Oh I’m terribly sorry!” Libby burst out sarccily.

“My coming home early really did fuck up your evenings plans…” Libby cried loudly. Jasper winced.

Libby turned on her heel, and marched into her bathroom, gathering up all the stuff she could lay her hands on that was Jasper’s. His shaving cream, razor, cologne, hair gel, shampoo, body wash. She threw them into the carboard box he had used to unpack them on her landing, throwing them in. Before crossing past him into the bedroom, where he was just hastily pulling on his clothes, black jeans and boxers and – she nearly laughed, he was wearing a green jumper. She could’ve wept with hilarity at that twist of fate.

“Libs, look…”

“Don’t you dare call me that! You can’t stand here, in the same room with yours and another womens mussed sex sheets, and get to call me by your pet name for me…. _NO!_ You’ve given up that little right!!”

She shouted, angrily throwing his clothing at him, tugging it out from a drawer, and hurling his books at him. He dodged the heavy paperbacks as she turned with her back to him and rooted through more drawers. Yanking out more of his belongings that he had placed there.

“Then what should I call you?” He asked angrily, and loudly.

“Your Ex-Girlfiend….”

She snarled angrily, tugging out his whole drawer that he used for his shorts and socks, and walked over to her window. She tugged it open and emptied the drawer out. So all of his stuff fell out onto the cobbled courtyard in front of her house.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Jasper yelled, yanking her arm back from the window, seeing his stuff littering the street outside.

“Making your transition out of my life an easy one… This way when you come back to collect your crap, you can do it from down there, instead of having to face your fat assed girlfriend.”

“Come on, you know I don’t think that…. You know I love the way you look.”

“Not enough to stop you from fucking a slender skinny model in my bed! Who, kudos to you, by the way, she had a lovely personality, but it was more her body you were in it for, weren’t you?”

Libby accused, lobbing two of his books out of the window, 'How To Kill A Mockingbird' sailed through the open window. Followed closely by the works of Washington Irving, and 'Lord Of The Flies.'

“It's Complex!” Jasper shouted.

He grabbed the stuff from her hands and placed it down on the bed. Gripping her by the shoulders and forcing her to look at him as she sighed a deep breath.

“Complex my ass! Jasper, you cheated! It’s pretty clear what you want….”

“WHAT? You seem to know everything, what then, do I want?”

“CLEARLY NOT ME!”

Libby yelled, seething as she grabbed a photo of him and her in Istanbul where they took a mini break too three months ago.

But as she moved to lob it angrily out her window, the back fell off and a photo fell out. She slowly bent down and picked it up, seeing Japser rush around the bed to try and hide it from her before she saw it.

“No, Don’t-“

He pleaded weakly, but it was too late. She had seen it.

“Why do you have a picture of you with a woman and a young child?” she asked quietly.

Jasper closed his eyes and let his head hang down low. Bowing on his shoulders.

“I shouldve told you…”

“You were married? And you have a son?” She asked softly.

“No…”

He shook his head, knowing what was to come when she found out.

“I’m _still_ married, and I _still_ have a son….” He ushered quietly.

That news hit Libby with all the grace of a tonne of bricks falling down on her, crushing her. She felt like the ground had been tugged out from under her feet.

That was before she turned around and threw the photo frame against the wall with such force that the glass shattered and the frame clattered to the floor with a thud. 

“You know, I wasn't really that angry with you before. Some men cheat all the time, every day. Especially when tall, thin, slutty and leggy blondes are waved in front of them. That, I could have barely forgiven you for. But to find out that you are _STILL_ married? And that while you were shagging that bimbo into the mattress, because all you were in need of is a good hot fuck, that somewhere on the other side of the world, you still have a _WIFE AND CHILD!_ ”

She yelled. Tears streaming down her face now, she didn’t care if her makeup was running, or that her voice was breaking with the onslaught of more tears to come, it didn’t matter that her perfect elegant hair do was now straggled and worn, red strands having come free from its holds. Because right then, she knew she had let her heart get broken by the worst kind of man, and she was all to blame.

“Libby, I make mistakes, I’m only human, I can’t help it! I’m allowed to make mistakes, I’m a grown man…”

“No.”

Libby shook her head, turning and smashing the photo of them at the gala dinner against the wall, more glass shattered, another frame broken. Another memory gone. 

“You’re allowed to make a couple of mistakes in life, Jasper. Lord knows I have.”

He couldn't ignore that pointed spiteful little dig at him.

“Charming…” He spat.

“….Pay a couple of bills late. Fine. Lose your phone. Ok. But cheat on your family, No. Japser that’s not a little ‘oops’ kind of mistake to make…”

She screamed. Before turning and more of his things flew out her window and smashed on the ground below.

“Oh, like you’re the perfect model of human decency...”

He yelled back, eyes stormy and angry.

“Oh please, I can’t wait to hear this! What unforgivable thing have I done in this relationship?”

She shouted, one of his t –shirts flapping about in her hands. Soon to join the pile collecting on her doorstep.

“What about Benedict, Libby? Huh? What about Tom?” He growled

“What about my friends?” She shouted sourly.

“Oh please, both of them are sporting raging hard -ons for you….”

Libby scoffed.

“Oh please….”

“You lost your virginity to Tom in college, he know’s what its like to fuck you. I’m surprised Benedict hasn’t had a go at it yet… In fact I wouldn’t put it past him to try yet, I’m sure he’d leap at the opportunity if you spread your thighs for him…. In fact, why don’t you just get it over with, and have a fucking threesome, I mean, it’s a perfect idea, you’re all so close, you do everything together, What’s a bit of fucking between friends?…” Jasper snarled.

“Fuck. You.”

She shouted, lobbing a box of his books out of the window, hearing him growl in frustration. Tugging her close by the wrist. 

“What? Is that what you want? Libby, do you want me? Is that was this is about? You want to fuck me?”

Jasper drawled, lustily, drawing close to Libby and purring his hateful words in her ears. Hands soothing down over her ass.

“Don’t touch me…”

She snapped, pushing him off and away. Not trying or suceeding, as he didn’t even stumble at her push.

“Why? I know what you like, I know how you like to be touched, felt up. I know you like it hard and fast, you like me pounding into you until you scream…”

Jasper drawled, his hands sliding up her neck cupping her face.

“You’re deranged…”

Libby growled, shoving him away frm her with ifnifnately more force now, seeing his ice blue eyes had gone black again. Anger and lust swelling up inside him.

“Exactly…. You’re exactly the same…”

He scoffed, smiling, stepping away from her.

“Excuse me?” She breathed.

“Always pushing me away, always somewhere else…”

He commented drily and nastily.

“As I recall, I wasn’t the one who decided to take off, mid orgasm….” She roared.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I leave you high and dry?”

He patronised with a lusty smile.

“I could care less about that! Sex isn’t one of the main commandeering factor’s in my life, unlike yours..”

She snapped.

“Where did you go that night, huh Jasper? Did you go and see Tatianna? Or did you go home and have trans-atlantic phone sex with your wife?”

She asked, scathingly. As another of his boxes was tossed out into the courtyard.

“No.” He said sharply.

“Oh, another woman was it?”

“Yes…”

He snarled, intending to hurt her.

“Oh good, I hope she was a nice, loose moralled poisonous floozy who was just your cup of tea. She was probably thin and lacking in brain cells too. That appears to be your type!”

She commented, walking around him, avoiding broken glass on her floor as she looked for any more of his things left forgotten in her room.

“I had to see those other women. I damn sure wasn’t getting any from my girlfriend at the time!”

He pointed out, coming to stand in front of her, and shout loudly.

“Do you mean me? Only, you can’t, because I was so bloody turned on and frustrated in my dry spell, I offered it to you so many times. But it was always, ‘not tonight darling, I have to work tomorrow’ or ‘babe, I have a headache, maybe in the morning’ only it never sodding well was, was it? Never the night after, we reached that three month mark, and _**BAM**_ , life of celibacy for me… or was that roughly the point of which you started to get bored?” She asked.

“I didn’t know that was what you meant...”

“Oh, so, kissing, making out on my sofa, and the very subtle suggestion that we move it to the bedroom, never clued you in?” she asked.

“I didn’t know..” He clarified loudly.

“What. Because I wasn't stripped naked, on the bed with a massive neon sign pointing at me saying _‘_ _TAKE ME NOW STUD?’ WAS THAT WHY?”_ she yelled.

“No, I’m sure your _, type_ , just lay down, spread their legs and away you go, sorry I wasn’t as accomodating enough for you.”

“You want an answer from me? Fine! Yes, you were a very hot shag up until the three mark point, then, sorry honey, but I got bored, one woman has never been enough for me! And it never will!”

Jasper yelled, crossing to pick his wallet and phone up from the bedside table.

“ _THANKYOU!_ ” She shouted, finally.

“For what?”

He growled, doing up his watch strap as he moved past her.

“For finally admitting it.”

She snarled. Shoving a box of his belongings into his hands. Looking at the man she used to love with pained eyes and virtually no expression in them.

“Is that it, are we done here?” He asked angrily. Frowning at her.

“Please don’t stay in touch.” Libby said stonily.

Jasper grit his teeth and walked out of her bedroom, box full of his things in his hands. The front door slamming after him, as he walked out, over the wreckage of their break up in front of her house. He didn't even stop to pick up his stuff.

Libby watched through the open window as he walked out of sight. Then. She did the only thing that appeared the right thing to do. She took off her shoes, and lobbed them at the wall, ignoring the state of her bleeding hands that were cut on the glass due to the shattered photo frames. She slunk down against the wall, behind her door in the corner of her room, now enclosed in darkness.

 

And then she buried her head in her hands, pulled her knees up to her chest, and cried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benedict was beginning to actually enjoy himself a little bit, on his date. Her name was Lauren. She was a PR person that he met through work, she was nice. Polite, demure, sweet.

With long brown hair and sweet brown eyes. (Sure, she was no curvy red with blue eyes, but he had to get over Libby at some point…….or at least try too, this was the first date he’d had in years, he was somewhat behind on the dating ettiquette of now) They had decided to meet for a dinner at a restaurant in Pimlico. It was a nice place, comfortable, unassuming and nicely suitable for a first date. The music was soft and pleasant, the food was good in both quality and pocket. And he was having a very nice time, just starting to relax, when his phone rang.

He winced, reaching in his pocket to get it.

“I’m so sorry, Im sure I’m liable to be flogged for this in some dating cultures… so rude… sorry!”

He stumbled, turning to swtitch it off. To see that Lauren smiled sweetly.

“No, it’s fine, I know you’re a busy wanted man, please…”

She nodded, insisting her answer.

He made a screwed up face, smiling as he answered and spoke softly, moving to get out his seat.

(He saw her blush as he exclaimed she was ‘far too nice’ as he moved to stand)

 

“Hello…” He smiled down the phone.

 

“Ben.” He heard a timid and very weak sounding Libby speak down the other end.

“Libs, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? you sound terrible, you ok?”

He gabbled, his brow drawing down over his eyes, his stomach clenched in panic and fear for how she sounded.

“No, I’m not hurt, really but. I,….” She started. Still sounding no less weak.

 

“I think I’m ready to sculpt a giant lying cheating pig called ‘Jasper’ now….”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> By the way, you beautiful lot, I do take asks, just inbox me if you have any scenarios involving any point in Ben and Libby's lives... (spoiler; their 'first time' fic is coming up shortly) but anything else, let me know. I love feedback


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